Mechanical igniter



Jame 3, 4- 1,496,489

- A. L. POWELL MECHANICAL IGNITER Filed Feb. 2. 1921 gvwen coz mum AW S T A T unease arsm'r OFFICE.

ALVAH L. rowELL, or MILES CITY, MONTANA, assreivon T THEA. L. POWELL roWER 00,, I1\TC., or MILES CITY, MONTANA, a BODY CORPORATE.

MECHANICAL IGNITER.

T 0 aZZ 10/20 127 may 0011 ce m Be it known that I, ALvAH L. POWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Miles City, in the county of Custer and State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Ig niters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in mechanical igniters for internal combustion engines in which I fire the explosive charge by means of a gas brought to an ignition temperature by compression. In the accompanymg drawings I show my improve ment as attached to an engine, in which Fig. l is a sectional elevation.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of a modi fication of my improvement.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a further modification.

In Fig. 1 a cylinder A contains a piston A slidable therein. On piston A there is a minor piston A vertically disposed. In the cylinder head of A there is a plug, A preferably threaded in said head and counterbored, at A, to fit the diameter of minor piston A From A a cored passage, A leads to an annular valve space A In A there is located a poppet valve A having two seating areas that engage valve seats at A, A The valve A has a stem, as shown in the figure, on which is a spring, B, that supports it. This spring is assumed to be strong enough to hold the valve tight until the minor combustion charge has been fired in the cored passage A The igniter works as follows:

On compression stroke of piston A the minor piston A traps part of the compressed fuel charge in A? Piston A continues to compress the charge until A is at end of stroke. The charge in A has now reached combustion temperature, and fires. The sudden increase of pressure overcomes the force of the spring B and valve A is unseated, at A. The fiame from the small charge reaches the main cylinder charge, igniting it.

In Fig. 2 I use ball check valves, C, C, in the passage A to minimize the danger of back firing. The valve A has added to it a piston, O connected to the main valve by a stem, C This piston is in line with a hole in piston A, Fig. 2. The parts operate as follows: On compression stroke A traps the fuel chargein A, compressing it into A". The spring B holds valve A to its seat,'but with a force that is not great enough to resist the force of an explosion in passage A. But as piston A advances, the hole in piston head coincides with the valve-piston C and the gas compressed between C and the bottom of hole in A adds an increased pressure to valve A O fits loosely in the hole to which it fits and the compression under it gradually leaks out as A? advances. (Note arrows, Fig. 2). The added compression holds A 'to its seat until piston A has started on outstroke; A is released as the pressure from piston C becomes neutral and the'hot fired charge from A exhausts into main combustion chamber, igniting the fuel charge therein.

In'Fig. 3 I show a further modification. A heating means is added'to the plug A through which pass either exhaust gases, or water from water jacket. This gives aheating effect that adds to the sensiti'veness of the gas in A Such a charge can be fired with low compression. To ignite main charge piston A lifts valve by contact with stem at D, the hot exhaust from A firing the compressed power fuel charge.

What I' believe is new and ask to have protected by Letters Patent, is'

1. In an internal combustion engine, a

cylinder, a head in said cylinder, said head having a bored passage and a duct leading from the passage to the cylinder, a valve controlling the said duct, major and minor seating surfaces on said valve, said major and minor surfaces being separated so as to provide a space therebetween adapted to I register with the cylinder end of the duct, a stem for the valve, a spring surrounding the stem and urging the valve to closed position, a piston, a minor piston, said minor piston being adapted to enter the bored passage in the head and trap and compress therein part of the cylinder charge, and means for removing said head from said cylinder, substantially as described.

2. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a head in said cylinder, said head having a bored passage and a duct leading from the passage to the cylinder, a valve controlling the said duct, major and minor seating surfaces on said valve, said major and minor surfaces being separated so as to provide a space therebetween adapted to register with the cylinder end of the duct, a stem for the valve, a spring surrounding the stem and urging the valve to closed position, a piston, a minor piston, said minor piston being adapted to enter the bored passage in the head and trap and compress therein partof the cylinder charge.

3. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a head in said cylinder, said head having a bored passage and a duct leading from the passage to the cylinder, a valve controlling the said duct, major and minor seating surfaces on said valve, said major and minor surfaces being separated so as to provide a space therebetween adapted to register with the cylinder end of the duct, a stem for the valve, means urging the valve to closed position, a piston, a minor piston, said minor piston being adapted to enter the bored passage in the head and trap and compress therein part of the cylinder charge.

li. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, ahead in said cylinder, said head having a passage extending in the same direction as the axis of the cylinder and a duct. leading from the passage to the cylinder, a valve controlling the said duct, major and minor seating surfaces on said valve, said major and minor surfacestbeing separated so as to provide a space therebetweenadapted to register With the cylinder end of the duct, a stem for the valve, a spring surrounding the stem and urging the valve to closed position, a piston, a minor piston, said minor piston being adapted to enter the passages in the head and trap and compress therein part of the cylinder charge.

5. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a head in said cylinder, said head having a passage extending in the same direction as the axis of the cylinder and a duct leading from the passage to the cylinder, a

valve controlling the said duct, major and minor seating surfaces on said valve, said major and minor surfaces being separated so as to provide a space therebetween adapted to register with the cylinder end of the duct, a stem for the valve, a spring surrounding the stem and urging the valve to closed position, a piston, a minor piston, said minor piston being adapted to enter the passages in the head and trap and compress therein part of the cylinder charge, and means carried by the stem adapted to be actuated by the piston whereby the valves may be controlled and back firing may be prevented.

6. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a head in said cylinder, said head having a passage extending in the same direction as the axis of the cylinder and a duct leading from the passage to the cylinder, a valve controlling the said duct, major and minor seating surfaces on said valve, said major and minor surfaces being separated so as to provide a space therebetween adapted to register With the cylinder end of the duct, a stem for the valve, a spring surrounding the stem and urging the valve to closed position, a piston, a minor piston, said minor piston being adapted to enter the passages in the head and trap and compress therein part of the cylinder charge, and means carried by the stern adapted to be actuated by the piston whereby the valves may be controlled and back firing may be prevented, said means including a piston carried by the valve stem and adapted to coact with a hole in the lirst mentioned piston whereby the air in the hole is compressed against the bottom of the stem carried by the piston.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ALVAH L. POWVELL. 

